Mr Crawford said the deep barrelled Rafer, who is being shorn this week, had an unbelievably soft wool with a tremendous lock.

“He has very loose, supple skin. I estimate he will cut a 17-micron fleece,” Mr Crawford said.

On behalf of the five judges, medium/strong wool judge Clinton Blight of Seymour Parl Poll Merino stud, Western Australia, said there was four magnificent rams on stage that were all true to type and outstanding representatives of the breed.

“The Victorian ram had magnificent wool, which he carried right down underneath,” Mr Blight said.

“He had a beautiful pure head, good deep jaw for that wool type. He stood up extremely well and overall is an outstanding sheep.”

Mr Crawford said he felt extremely proud to win the supreme ram of the year award.

“It is a tremendous award, it is an accolade most people in the industry strive for because it is aiming for excellence within the breed and your breed type,” Mr Crawford said.

“It’s not all about winning, it is about taking the breed forward – increasing carcase weight, increasing wool cut and quality.

“I’ve set my type and try to be an industry leader if I can be within our type of sheep.”

Believed to be the only stud to ever win the supreme title with both horned and poll rams, Mr Crawford said it was on his ‘bucket list’ to win with both horned and polled rams.

“The win came a bit earlier than expected,” he said.

“But I believe he (Rafer) is one of the best two sheep I have ever bred. The polls have become a very competitive sheep, a weapon in the industry.

“But it took those tough times to reset and refocus because we were doing it so hard.

“In the last 10 years we have put an enormous emphasis on increasing size, production and capacity for more meat.

“I want to be able to be a part of the innovation to take the Merino industry to another level.”

Showing their consistency, Rock-Bank have previously won two national supreme titles with horned rams in 1997 and 2006 and represented Victoria in the competition eight times.

Over the years they have also won four national pair titles and three national fleece titles.

The immediate plan for Rafer is to become a leading Rock-Bank sire, although he already has some impressive progeny on the ground which dropped late July.

NSW was represented by Drew Chapman of Hinesville stud, with his medium wool ram ‘Two-Up’ who was sashed supreme exhibit of the show only hours before.